Crimson Crux

Finally, a significant upgrade from my Olympus FE-100 cheapo point-and-shoot.

I am the proud new owner of a Nikon D80, lens included (Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm). Price: Php 28,000 (or around $580).

That’s a sizeable discount from the price at Wikipedia: “Its current price is $600 for the body only or $800 with the Zoom-Nikkor AF-S DX 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED kit lens.”

I bought this baby in October or late September from a writer-photographer friend of mine. It’s second-hand but almost new at just four months.

Disclaimer: I never dreamt of being a photographer, much more a professional one. The visual arts were never my forte. (Literary arts are an entirely different matter.) However, I wasn’t able to resist the allure of the camera’s selling price, and there’s nothing to lose but everything to gain if I tried my hand at photography.

The camera also arrives at an opportune time — I’ve been attending/holding lit events like crazy these past months, and I sure need something to document them and document them well.

The following are my first shots since buying the Nikon D80. Pardon the evident lack of skill — these are beginner’s shots after all, hehe. I haven’t had much time to practice and read the manual due to the onslaught of lit/art events.

In front of our apartment along Cordillera Street, Galas, Quezon City.

The view from Dampa, Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Manila Bay.

Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

Vim Nadera, yours truly, Ynna Abuan, and Debbie Nieto at the Boardwalk Dive Center, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Subic Bay, Zambales.

Subic Bay, Zambales.

Subic Bay, Zambales.

Jungle Environmental Survival Training (JEST) Camp, Subic Bay, Zambales.

Subic Bay beach.

Subic Central School, Subic (different from the Subic Bay Freeport Zone), Zambales.

Vista Marina Hotel & Resort, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Beverly Siy sa Vista Marina Hotel & Resort, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Halloween in our house.

Filipinas Heritage Library, Makati City.

(Topmost picture source: Wikipedia.)